After all these years of teaching and surrounded by BIG students (and sometimes intimidating 'em so that they won't intimidate me), crunching numbers and manipulating formulas in Physics, Science and Maths, I am now in charge of form 1 students...

Yup, the munchkins,

.....but this is not an ordinary students, this class is special, it is the second to last class.. and based on last year students allocation/distribution, this is where the students who could barely read or write will be put together.. and starting next year i.e. tomorrow, I will be their their oh-so-big-buhrader..so not only that I have to put them in ease (of the transition to a new school), but also have come out with a plan on how to teach them according to their abilities....

Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining here. I am just at loss on how to start? What to say? How to comfort the nervous parents (when the teacher himself is jittery)? What to teach?

During my recent short trip to Kuching, I discovered lotsa new information.

Here are some of them...

Discovery # 1

Kuching is not really a Cat

It turns out that the name Kuching doesn't come from the Malay word for Cat (kucing) but most probably be a variation of Indian word for 'port' (Cochin) given by the early Indian traders. Hmm... Kuching folks, count your blessing. At least "Cochin" does resemble the word (sound) "Kuching" (cat) in Malay, resulting handful of the cute cat statues being erected around the city. Just imagine if it sounds like................. Nah.. never mind.. I love the Cat City (and their people) very much so I skipped the cruel jokes for later...

Discovery #2

This is not a cat's poo

Well: Ini apa?

Me: Manala saya tahu.

Well: Kenapa ada banyak dekat sini?

Me: Entah.

Well: Dekat Kuching je ada.

Me: Maybe it is a symbol?

Well: Simbol apa?

Me: Err.. Cat's poo???

Well: .. but why?

Me: How the h3ll am I supposed to know? Maybe it is sacred or something (this is before I knew that Kuching is actually Cochin, mind you)

Well: Owh.. ok.

It is not... and after a visit here

I found out that it is actually an Iban earring

Feeling like smacking Well's head. After all he is a pure Iban and after seeing the display he proudly admit "My grandmother has a pair that looks like the one we saw in the park last nite" Yeah right... I thought we both agree it is a cat's poo.

Moral of the story: Visit your local museum.

Discovery #3

I might have a blood connection with James Brooke!! the Rajah of Sarawak.

Just look at the nose!! It is wickedly the same.

Ops! Ops wait a minute. Here are some of the information they forgot to print in our Form 5 History Text book..

His mother, Anna Maria is the ILLEGITIMATE daughter of Scottish Colonel, William Stuart and his mistress, Harriott Teasdale. (naughty naughty)

James stayed in India until the age of 12 (maybe Cochin was his idea)

He ran away from his school in England.

Hmm... guess I don't really want to affiliate myself with a delinquent.

Discovery #4

It is worth taking turn (so to speak).

This is, my dear, a bed fit for a (horny) chinese man.. Look carefully, the bed has two chambers. The question is, where do you want to sleep tonight?

It must be very 'tiring' being a wealthy chinese man during those era. Ain't that right Mister Kapitan?

Last couple of months were eXtremely boring. Not only I didn't have any internet connection what-so-ever (this explain my MIA), there was basically nothing for me to do in the house other than wake-up, eat, watch the idiot box and go sh*t (not in that particular order).

Life was full of nothingness that I voluntarily developed a new routine of waking up early and jogged 3 km from the house to get my morning The Star paper (which will be sadly missed come 1st Jan) and then in the evening, I play a 60 minutes badminton with Irfan. Yup, I do my exercise out of boredom!! (and eventually lost 3 kilos in the process -which doesn't really show because they were formerly scattered in every places- ).

So the big Q.. What is new in cyberworld? (Or particularly this blog perhaps??)

Well.. one thing for sure, after the "the world in our fingertips fiasco err.... competition" which I was appointed as teacher advisor...

--flashback: I HAD to teach them how to search anything in a jiffy in order to win the competition, which they did (1st, 2nd and 3rd spot!!) and lil' that I realized they will use the knowledge to do a search on ME---

....it seems like everyone (oh.. how I love to exaggerate) I know had found this blog which I hide so well from the prying eyes of relatives, siblings (especially my bro after the nasty post I made bout him.. love him tho), friends, colleagues, colleagues cum friends etc.

..and it won't be long before soon (or is it soon before long? Damn it Maroon V!! You made me confused!!) that people will now what am I up too..

And then, the not so best part is.. I have to come clean to a particular little Miss Town about having read her blog secretly and sometimes subconsciously smiling at her coyly knowing what she is up too or already did. (Poker face is a hard expression to learn mind you, thank god she never ask me how on earth I know she is a good-GOOD singer).

confession: I learnt the art of posing for camera by watching the pro at Miss Little Town

So what is in store for Two Zero Ten you may asked?

Would I change my way of writing (hey, I am subtle enough, aren't I?) since there will be visitors from lower age group that see me as a knowledge provider (read: delinquents err.. I meant students)

Would I think twice before making fun sometimes rude remarks about my fellow colleagues?

Would I practice a stringent grammar and spellinng checkkk?

... no sir I won't.. ;)

Have a Merry X'mas from me to all bloggers and readers who will be celebrating it tomorrow..